NZ Yarn Ltd, a world-leading producer of New Zealand wool yarns for the global soft flooring market, is pleased to announce a major new strategic shareholder and business partner: Hemp New Zealand Ltd.

Under the agreement, Hemp New Zealand has acquired a 15% interest in NZ Yarn, with the objective of installing a hemp fibre processing facility within the NZ Yarn factory in Burnside, Christchurch.

The new partnership will be a catalyst for market-leading innovations in hemp fibre processing, as well as the development of new consumer products made from hemp yarn, wool & hemp yarn blends and non-woven wool and hemp products. . .

New Labour Coordinator role for BOP kiwifruit industry formed with support from the Provincial Growth Fund, the Ministry of Social Development and New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers

In 2018 the Bay of Plenty kiwifruit industry experienced a severe labour shortage at harvest with 1,200 vacancies unable to be filled. The kiwifruit industry considers that another labour shortage for the Bay of Plenty is likely in 2019. To mitigate the potential shortage, New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc. (NZKGI) is employing a labour coordinator and have launched an attraction campaign to increase seasonal labour numbers. . .

Synlait is delighted to have signed up its first Waikato dairy farmers who will supply Synlait Pokeno for the 2019/2020 season.

“Our milk procurement team has received a very warm welcome and a positive response from Waikato dairy farmers and rural professionals. We’re thrilled to have signed up our first group of milk suppliers,” says Leon Clement, CEO.

“Synlait’s Lead With Pride™ programme has been well received by farmers who want to be rewarded for the work they do in terms of environment, animal health and welfare, milk quality and social responsibility” he says. . .

Spreadmark, New Zealand’s only fertiliser spreading certification scheme, has gained international recognition from the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand, JAS-ANZ.

JAS-ANZ recognition means that farmers and growers who use Spreadmark trained and registered fertiliser spreaders can now be absolutely assured that all aspects of the programme are robust and reliable. It provides extra reassurance to regional councils and other organisations who require contractors to be Spreadmark certified. It also adds value to the quality assurance programmes (which specify that fertiliser must be spread by a Spreadmark certified spreader), offered to farmers and growers by food processing companies, in return for higher prices for their products. . .

The New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association (NZSCA) is calling for entries for the revitalised NZ Champions of Cheese Awards which will be judged in February 2019.

The Specialist Cheesemakers Association has been running the awards since 2003 and will judge the 16th annual NZ Champions of Cheese Awards at the AUT School of Hospitality and Tourism on Sunday 24 February 2019. Cheesemakers vying for one of the 23 cheese trophies must complete their online entries by Friday 8 February 2019. . .

Air New Zealand is helping Kiwi exporters to serve up Christmas dinner to people around the world this holiday season.

The airline will work with meat processors and exporters from around the country to move more than 700 tonnes of lamb to the United Kingdom in the lead up to Christmas. More than 1000 tonnes of Central Otago cherries will also be sent to Asia and the United States over the summer season – that’s more than 65 million individual cherries! . .

The sweet taste of honey has made it a treat for over 8000 years – but now there’s more.

Growing awareness of its health benefits and the appeal of its natural origins has meant South Island honey producers are riding a wave of unprecedented overseas demand.

Taylor Pass Honey, one of the south’s largest producers, has doubled production over the past two years and the remote wilderness areas they source their honey from has been a compelling selling point for overseas markets, marketing manager Jo Bray says. . .

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It was getting light around 6am until this morning. Now we’ve lost an hour ant it’s dark until nearly 7am.

It wouldn’t be so bad if there was both sufficient light and warmth in the evening. But we’ve only just passed the spring equinox, there was fresh snow on the Kakanuis a few days ago and it’s still too cool and dark too early at the end of the day.

In another few weeks when the sun has moved further south it will be lighter, and hopefully warmer, at both ends of the day.

Until then I will resent the lost hour in the morning – and those getting up earlier to milk, shear, muster, nurse or any of the other worst hat requires early starts will lament the cold, dark, later dawn even more.

Sun comes up at the perfect time to get the cows in, nothing highlights the urban/rural divide like daylightfknsaving. pic.twitter.com/4b6MqCcqcf